Electric-light display system



(No Model.) 7 I 2 SheetS Sheet 1.

' J. E. WOODBRIDGE.

ELECTRIC LIGHT DISPLAY SYSTEM.

No. 549,799. Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

ANnREw 8.6RAHAM. FHDIQUTNQWASHINGTON. C

(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. E. WOODBRIDGE. ELECTRIC LIGHT DISPLAY SYSTEM.

No. 546,799. Patented Sept. 24, 1-895.

ANBREW EGBMMM PflmD-UTHQWASNINGTONj Cv JONATHAN WQODBRIDGE, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRICAL ADVERTISING AND SIGN COMPANY, OF MAINE.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT DISPLAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters l atent No. 546,799, dated September 24, 1895.

Application filed July 8, 1895. Serial No. 555,212. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JONATHAN E. W001)- BRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric-Light Display Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for producing letters, words, characters, and designs of light, and for changing the delineations at pleasure, the same to be employed for purposes of signs, advertising, and 'public notices and similar uses in conspicuous places.

In carrying out my invention I employ a display-board studded with a large number of electric lamps that are to be lighted in groups, each group representing a letter of a word or name, a character, or a design. Each lamp is connected to one main line wire and to an electromagnetic switch, and each magnetic switch is in turn connected to the other main-line wire, and a hand-switch is employed in one mainline wire. As each magnetic switch is operated by the depression of its armature, a circuit including one lamp is established which lights said lamp, the armature being held by the magnet and the lamp remaining lighted until the circuit is broken by opening the hand-switch. This operation can be performed with every lamp on the dis play board, the lamps beinglighted at pleasure in groups representing the letters of a word or words or characters or ornamantal designs. Any desired means may be employed .for bringing the electromagnetic switches into action, butI prefer and usually employ a writing-board consisting of a backing of insulating material upon which are a multiplicity of metal disks or contacts, agreeing in numher with the magnetic switches and lamps and in arrangement corresponding with the lamps. A wire extends from each metal disk or contact to the magnetic switch connected to the lamp of corresponding position, and a line extends from one of the main lines to a handoperated metal pencil or stylus. The metal pencil or stylus is drawn across the faces of the metal disks or contacts in outlining letters, designs, or characters, and the disks touched determine the lamps in the lighted groups. The pencil or stylus as it touches each successive disk establishes a circuit that draws down the armature of the magnetic switches successively and closes the circuits through. the corresponding lamps. I

' In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the devices in one complete circuit. Fig. '3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating my invention applied to thethree-wire system. Fig. 4. is a diagrammatic View illustrating a modificationin' the arrangement of the parts, and Fig. 5 isa side elevation of a way of mechanically operating the magnetic switch.

'A represents a portion of a display-board studded with a large number or multiplicity of incandescent electric lamps a. The board maybe of any'size and contain any desired number of lamps, according to the require- ;ments to be fulfilled, and they are preferably arranged in rows.

B represents anumber of electromagnetic switches, which are preferably securedto a board or frame and agreeing in number and position with thefelectric lamps.

Any kind of electromagnetic switch may be'employed, but I prefer and have shown the same ,as constructed with a helix 0, an iron core (1, an insulated screw (2, an iron frame e, and a screw e, passing through and attaching the magnet to the supportingboard, a pivoted iron armature f on the frame e, and a back stop screw f, a contractile spring 2, and a wire lfrom the frame etc the wire helix 0.

Wires 5'connect each magnetic switch B with a lamp a of corresponding position and wires 9 connect the lamps with amain line 10. A main line 20, in which is a switch 3, is connected to each magnet at its insulated screw 01' by wires 7. i

The armatures f may each be mechanically depressed to contact with the cores d to complete circuits between the main lines 10 and 20, through the wires 9, lamps a, wires 5, helicos c, wires 4, frames e, armaturesf, cores d, screws d, and wires 7 to light the lamps. The magnetic switches are to be operated in groups as desired to produce letters, words, names, characters, or designs in light upon the ICO display-board of lamps, and thelights will remain lighted until by the opening and successive closing of the hand-switch 3 or equivalent means all are turned off simultaneously, preparatory to making other letters, words, characters, or designs of light.

I prefer to operate the magnetic switches 13 in a more convenient and expeditious manner than by a mechanical depression of the armaturesf, as shown in Fig. 5. This I accomplish by means of a writing-board 0, Figs. 1 and 4, consisting of a backing of insulating material, on which are a multiplicity of metal disks or contacts 1), agreeing in number and arrangement with the incandescent electric lamps a. From each metal disk or contact 1) extends a wire 12 to the screw 6 of the magnetic switch of the corresponding lamp. A wire 15 extends from the main line to a metal pencil or stylus 14, having an insulated handle, so as to be moved by hand. This metal pencil or stylus 1i is drawn over the faces of the metal disks or contacts to outline and produce inlight lettersin spelling words or names or designs or characters, and the respective disks or contacts touched thereby determine which lamps are to be lighted. As the pencil touches each disk I), a local circuit is established from the line wire 20, through the wire 15, pencil ll, disk 1), wire 12, screw 6', frame 0, wire 4, helix 0, wire 5, lamp (1, wire 9, to line-wire 20, which lights the lamp, and the helix draws down the armature f of the magnetic switch, and in so doing the circuit is established from the wire 5 of the lamp, through the helix 0, wire at, frame (2, armature f, core (Z, screw (1', wire 7 to the line 20, and the lamp is kept burning until the switch 3 is opened and the circuit broken, which puts out all the lamps at once and breaks each individual lamp-circuit at the armatures f, so that any new word design, &c., may be afterward made in light.

It is obvious that with large boards the lamps may be divided into sections, each operated by a separate throwing-out switch, so as to obviate the necessity of putting out all the lights at once.

In the drawings, Fig. 3, I have shown the application of my invention to the three-wire system, such as is so generally employed in large cities. In this system there is a positive main wire 25, a negative main wire 30, and a neutral main wire 35, coupled to two dynamos D D in the usual manner. The electric lamps a of the display-board are connected by wires 9, in groups, alternately to the main +and wires 80, and the electromagnetic switches 13 are all connected by wires 7 to the neutral wire and by wires 5 to the lamps. They may be operated mechanically or, as hereinbefore described, by a writing-board C and stylus or pencil.

In Fig. a I have shown a modification of my invention, the object of which is to light the electric lamps in the manner hereinbefore described, but only dimly, or with. a small.

amount of light, which, with a ground or colored globe, is practically invisible, and atterward, by means of a switch, to llash the entire word, name, design, or character brightly into vision all at once. This is accomplished by employing a main wire 22 and an auxiliary wire 27, with the display-board A of lamps a connected to the wire 27. The wires 22 and 27 are connected by a hand-adjustable resistance 23, through which and the wire 27 the current passes to the lamps during the period of tracing or writing out the letters, characters, or designs, the hand-switch Ell being open. After the letters, &c., are dimly written out the hand-switch fit is closed to flash all the lamps at once to view and show the entire word, character, or design. The hand-switch 28 is to be opened to put the lights all out. The writing-board is to be employed when desired in this as in the other arrangements shown, and I prefer to employ a lamp in the wire from the main wire 22 to the pencil or stylus.

In Fig. at wires 15 connect the lamps a to the frames of the electromagnetic switches 13, and the main wire 20 is connected by wires 17 to the helices, and the helices in turn to the insulated screws of the cores, the wires 42 from the disks of the writing-board going to the insulated screws of the core, so that the currents through the helices from the writing board will draw down the armatures and establish the permanent circuits to the lamps through said armatures.

I have shown in Fig. 5 a means for operat ing the electromagnetic switches by hand, in which a stem 47 is connected to the armature f and a button 18 upon the stem is in an opening in a surface-board 19, the surface of the button projecting slightly, so that when the finger is passed over the surface of the board the buttons will be depressed and the circuits through the armatures closed. It the buttons 18 and stems 4-7 are of metal, the armatures can be depressed by the electrical action produced by a wire brush connected in the circuit and drawn over the buttons by hand in a manner similar to the operation of the stylus or pencil 14 and similarly connected to a main-line wire.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a display board having a multiplicity of electric lamps, of electromagnetic switches one for each lamp and circuit connections through each lamp and its electro-magnetic switch and means for closing each of the circuits whereby the circuit that is closed through any lamp is maintained by the magnet holding switch, and a hand switch in the main circuit to turn off the current and extinguish the lamps and break the circuits at the switches, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a display board having a multiplicity of electric lamps, of electromagnetic switches and circuit connections through each lamp and its electromagnetic switch whereby the circuit that is closed through any lamp is maintained by the magnet holding switch, and a hand switch in the main circuit to turn off the current and extinguish the lamps and break the circuits at the switches,a writing board with contacts corresponding in number and position to the lamps, branch circuit connections to the'contacts and a stylus circuit-closer and flexible connections thereto for actuating the switches electrically, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a display board having a multiplicity of electric lamps, of electromagnetic switches and circuit connections through each lamp and its electro-magnetic switch whereby the current that is closed through any lamp is maintained by the magnet holding switch, and a hand switch in the main circuit to turn off the current and extinguish the lamps and break the circuits at the switches, a resistance in the main circuit for lessening the current to the lamps and a switch for short circuiting such resistance substantially as specified.

4E. The combination with a display board having a multiplicity of electric lamps, of electro-magnets one for each lamp, circuit connections passing through the armatures and. cores for causingthe armatures to act as switches, branch circuits from the magnets and a circuit closing stylus for energizing the electro-magnets and closing their switches, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a display board having a multiplicity of electric lamps, of electromagnetic switches corresponding in number and position to the lamps, circuit connections through each lamp and its corresponding electromagnetic switch, means for depressing the armatures of any desired number of said electro-magnetic switches to complete a permanent electric circuit through said electro-magnetic switches and lamps to light the lamps, which circuits are maintained by the magnets holding the switch armature, and a hand switch in the main circuit to turn off the current and extinguish a1ltl1e lamps at once and break the currents at the respective switches, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 21st day of June, A. D.

JONATHAN E. WOODBRIDGE.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINOKNEY, HAROLD SnRRnLL. 

